They all survived

Turns out the camping trip was a huge success with kids AND Dad having a blast. Rain and all.

Here's Camden's early-morning catch. The first fish caught!!! (he later caught 2 more)

Royce trying his hand at fishing......wearing Iris' shorts......because all he packed was a swimsuit for the WHOLE 3 day excursion. (In my defense he TOLD me he packed "3 shirts, 2 pants, 2 shorts and LOTS of undies!" I should've known it was a lie when he mentioned the "undies" part. #antiunderwear)

Emerson was the only other one that caught a fish. Pretty proud of himself too.

The water at the lake was cooler, but not enough to randomly wade in.

The second night they had some friends join them up there and found this "raft" that they played FOREVER on.

Dutch oven-ing is kinda Brooks' thing. He LOVES it and is obsessed. So he dutch-oven-ed every meal. The kids said the cinnamon rolls in the morning in the dutch oven were the BEST ever (I wonder if they were really or just because food tastes better while camping). 

This dinner they were having shrimp jambalaya and Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler which apparently was "the best". (Just the WORD "rhubarb" turns me off)

 The cobbler

They had a blast with their friends there

So there's two dads and 10 kids. I wasn't too surprised when Brooks came home and said it was great and easy. Then I look through his pictures and find this one......... and I think, "Yes, things are VERY easy when you're not really watching the kids and just taking pictures of them."

(Notice Royce in the back)

NOOOOOO big deal with a five year old walking around and playing with a hatchet, and no shoes, around 9 other kids!!!! Just keep on worrying about the food men!

I showed Brooks and said, "Look at Royce"........his silence was priceless.

 But, no one was injured so no-harm-no-foul and plus they all came back talking my EAR off about how much fun they had.

All in all, I would say it was a huge success.

Spring Break

The Friday before Spring Break was the date marked for a get-away for just Brooks and myself. (overnight and the next day....that Brooks planned). I know Brooks HATES pictures so I promised him I wouldn't take any the whole time. Which was fine just taking in the scenes up in the mountain town of Black Mountain and all. There WAS one time however that I WISHED I had my phone on me to take a picture...... when Brooks and I were in the "family room" at the hotel/B&B trying to watch NCAA games (our room didn't have a tv, or wifi, or a comfty bed, or hot water for that matter) and this attractive 50 year old lady came in and asked if she could "Stretch" on the carpet. What do you say? No?!?! So we said yes and she left. Brooks bet me she wouldn't come back and I bet him she would. I won. She comes back with her rolling supplies and her mat doing every awkward yoga pose you could think of 3 ft. in front of us between us and the tv. 

Let's just say between that and the German restaurant hot dog flop my belly hurt SO hard from laughing. Literally the WHOLE time. It felt so good to be with him and just laugh because everything kept backfiring.

I made it back JUST in time to take Aleeya to our first Women's Conference Broadcast together (girls 8+ are invited to attend). She was BEYOND excited and couldn't stop talking....... I think I know what Brooks felt like the whole time we were on our get-away now. ;)

Before we made "Friendship Notebooks" with the other girls there. It's basically a notebook that the daughter writes in it, leaves on her mom's pillow and the mom responds and leaves on HER pillow. This works out since Aleeya is ALWAYS leaving me notes on my pillow anyway......usually not with the most FLATTERING words for me, so maybe this notebook might be different?

My first note was promising saying she loves me SO much she could "right a song about me".

Easter Sunday the boys got new SHORT sleeved white shirts for church....nothing exciting. But my girls all got new Easter dresses......honestly, this is the first year I've ever done that. It was something I looked forward to so much as a young girl but never really wanted to budget it into our student/training income. Last year I told Brooks when he was "finally done our girls will get Easter dresses". And so they did.

They got their Easter baskets on Saturday but we didn't have time (just getting back from our trip) to do our family easter egg hunt in the backyard. Each kid has their own color of egg to find and then there's three "special ones" with money in them. Emerson, Aleeya and Iris found them..... Iris with the most money and could NOT have been more happy. Surprisingly there were no tears this year. #Eastermiracle

My baby girls are breech. Or they were as of two weeks ago at the ultrasound so I've been putting music at the bottom of my belly when I sit and also doing hand stands in the pool at the gym. Surely it's going to work, right?!?!

If nothing else the pool makes me feel like a million bucks. Better then I've felt in MONTHS and actually kinda normal when I'm in it. Then I get on the ladder to come out and I'm reminded of gravity.

With baseball games we haven't had a night open to do our St. Patrick's Day jelly bean race yet. So we did that on Monday night. We had them randomly draw numbers to find out who they will go head to head against in the first round and it turned out how we would've paired them anyway.

Round 1

Bronson vs. Camden

I thought this was a given since Camden wins most years (or Emerson....really just between those two), but Bronson pulled off the win! I was shocked.

Aleeya vs. Emerson

Emerson won. There wasn't even any tears after. #jawdropper

Iris vs. Royce

(they get to use their hands)

Iris won and advanced to the winner's bracket only to find herself battling Emerson.

It was kind of a blow-out with Emerson winnning.

Championship round

Bronson vs. Emerson

Bronson was going to pick Buffalo Wild Wings to eat and Emerson wanted KFC.

Brooks and I were both rooting for Emerson to win.

I seriously can't believe it but Bronson actually won. For the first time in probably five years!

Brooks played Bronson after "just for fun" to humble the boy and beat him by maybe an inch. I'm thinking our kids are getting the hang of this now.

Aaaaaaaaaand we arrived. All. of. us.

I wasn't sure if BWW was prepared to handle the Smith invasion or if I was ready to manage it. It turns out they give each kid an iPad thing to play with while the food was being made. 

WHAAAAAAAAAT?!?! I was relieved but also kind of embarrassed looking around at our 2016 family where no one was talking to each other and engrossed in their electronic. But hey, it was a SUPER easy (and tasty) dinner.

The next day with the kids home for Spring Break reminded me of my OBVIOUS lack of ability to do anything. With the nausea coming back and random issues with the kids and then mentally kicking myself for reacting poorly Brooks came home to find the younger 5 kids in bed 2 hours early and me in a hot bath (for my sore body) crying by myself. #reallife 

Seriously, the POOR man that has to deal with me right now.

Next thing I hear is his low intense voice talking to the older boys out in the living room. I only heard snipets like "....come home to find MY sweetheart crying....." "If I EVER....." and then some hushed voices.

Let's just say the next day went a LOT better for me.

Maybe not for Everly who face slid down the driveway though.

And today me and the kids just prepared food and packed up the Yeti.

There was only one word that came to mind as I watched Brooks drive away with the older six kids (while it was sprinkling rain) to take them camping for 2 nights.......

"SUCKA"!!!!!

My other thoughts:

I hit the jackpot with that man. #forREALS

No cooking dinner for the next two nights for me

Kellyn and Everly are SUPER easy by themselves

Early bedtimes ALL AROUND

Me and my nest of pillows and body pillows get the WHOLE bed to myself

Hope all six kids come back with him 

(he left Aleeya at the church last week on Wednesday night. When our friend asked if she was okay she said, "It's okay, he's left me before" and she proceeded to be spoiled by everyone there)

FIRST GAMES

Last week and the week before were our weeks of first games in the springs. 

Here is Coach Smith and the kid that cheers more then anyone else on their team.... Emerson.

Go A's!!!!! And ROYCE ( t-ball ) was also put on the A's team!

I took the below picture BEFORE his cleats had to be put on. He has a BIIIIIIG issue with wearing socks WITH shoes. It hurts his feet I guess and since I wanted him to smile I just did the socks. Which ended up being a good idea since he DID lose it. I reminded him though that I let him keep the stickers on his hat (the stickers from the store) and I didn't MAKE him wear undies. So he was pacified and wore his cleats with his socks. (Guess he has a thing with under clothing too? But we have a STRICT rule with him about undies. You HAVE to wear them to church. Otherwise.....well, he just does his thing) #pickyourbattles  #dontdepantshim

The girls before their soccer games. 

Iris isn't so scared of the ball anymore but she still is a very polite soccer player.  Aleeya is the smallest girl on her 8-9 year old team. She's a 2nd grader and there are even some 4th graders on her team.  He coach calls her "Wheels" because she's so fast and can catch anyone. He said, "She must have older brothers". Yes, yes she does. The perks of having older brothers? More agressive in sports and you get teased more. You take the good with the bad.

Speaking of a teaser, here is Camden before his first game in Majors. This is his tough pose.

Bronson made the Middle School baseball team and the coach WARNED us before games started that he "likes his team to look good". So it should've come to NO surprise when we had to buy a bazillion articles of uniforms. For starters they have THREE different uniforms. Black, red and white. Then red and black long sleeve undershirts. Different colored belts, socks and hats.

(he said I could take a picture of his whites if he didn't have to look at the camera). Deal

Then on TOP of that they have practice attire. So Mon/Wed/Fridays they wear their red practice shirts and Tues/Thurs they wear black. And they have basketball shorts for inside practice and batting cages. If you wear the WRONG stuff you have to run extra. 

I'll admit, I do laundry every day but I am feeling a little stressed to make sure he has the RIGHT things and check the coach's latest updates on their attire. (EVEN FOR PRACTICE!!!!). It's really crazy. 

But I will admit....they DO look good, and when I pick him up at practice and they're all out their matching it's cute......or handsome? or cool? What's the right middle school word....?

Being a 7th grader on the 7th/8th grader team has been a good experience for him (why are some 8th graders so big?!?!?!). He mostly plays outfield, sits out sometimes and has pitched a few games here and there. 

What matters, is that he's loving it. 

To say our calendar is full of practices and games is an embarrassing understatement.

Names and Pregnancy Questions

I get asked a lot of questions in regards to this pregnancy. 

Some tactful and some completely tact-LESS. (Then again, those usually occur in public places from strangers anyway....."STRANGE" being the key word.)

In effort to answer the tactful ones here we go......

1) Do twins run in your family?

That's a yes.....ish. Twins aren't really a common occurance in my family line. In fact the ONLY ones I know of are the ones my great grandmother had (two girls)..... my grandmother's sisters. But no one that I know of has had twins since and I don't know of any prior. I actually didn't think the link was close enough to have me be a viable candidate for genetically passed down twins...(maybe I'm wrong though)... I figure with me being in my mid-30s and having had 8 other children put me in the "high-chance for twins" category on top of that. Although twins in a man's line has nothing to do with the chance of you having twins, I DID think it was interesting that my mother-in-law's sister had twins (Brooks' cousins).

2) Are they identical or fraternal?

Once again....not a definite answer. I just answer not identical because it's easier. However medically, there is STILL a 30% chance that they are identical and the only way of confirming or knowing that at this point (since they are in separate sacs w/ separate placentas) is by a genetic test after they are born. But whether they are identical or not Iris is wishing that they both have brown hair sooooooo bad. With her and Bronson being the only brunette children she said it's HER turn to have a sister with brown hair. Obviously I don't care either way but a brunette WOULD save her/them in later years some major hair bills in keeping up the highlighted blonde. :)

3) Stretch marks? 

I really have been asked that. I'm wondering if they wanted a visual? But the answer would be no.....to both.....the visual and the fact that I don't have any stretch marks. Apparently I'm Elastagirl.

4) Were you so excited when you found out or overwhelmed?

Anyone who has read my blog knows I was and AM super excited.... so overwhelmed really wasn't my response. Granted that was closer to BROOKS' response but honestly, we have our hands full as it is! Having children is obviously a personal matter between the husband, wife and Heavenly Father. (In fact, I don't even know why I'm sharing this paragraph for that matter....) And had you asked Brooks and I (ESPECIALLY on a Sunday evening!) if we were done and overwhelmed after having 8 we would've said yes. But that's just 2 parts of the triangle. The third part is Heavenly Father. And HE patiently and consistently told me we needed to get pregnant. I fought it for a while. Through fasting and prayer though I couldn't deny what I was being prompted to do. So in faith and knowing Heavenly Father could make me equal to any task He has asked me to do we decided to add to the family. THIS is the part I didn't tell Brooks about until it was "too late" ;)..... you see, I KNEW my body/mind and family life couldn't handle another pregnancy. But I also wanted to do what Heavenly Father wanted of me because that's really what's most important. Well, during my prayers I kinda told Him my mind.....I guess as I always do in my own rambling way. I mentioned that I WOULD be willing to have another child but also that I was super tired of being pregnant, so if there was more then one up there that needed to come to our family (or that He wanted to send to our family) then He better send them down together because I'm calling it quits after this. Yes, I guess I have some gumption and it's funny how it worked out. I won't ever know if genetics, my age, my many children or my prayers were the reason for these two little girls but I can't help but smile with grateful tears in my eyes. (I tear up a LOT) Maybe one day when I'm praying for guidance and help I might get a "You asked for it!" answer..... I probably will.

5) Are you excited they are girls?

What's the right answer to that?! I'm excited they're HEALTHY!!! However, today would be the RIGHT day for me to answer and HUGE HUGE YES!!!!! After having a neighbor come over just a few minutes ago bringing back a certain son of mine and telling me what he did outside playing I realized a few things, 1) I want to wring that child's neck (but didn't) and 2) ANY and EVERY time we have had to march a child over to a neighbor's, a church teacher's, a store manager's, a school teacher or a bus driver to apologize and completely embarrass the kid it has always ALWAYS been a boy. So yes, today I'm BEYOND thrilled I'm having two girls. AND the idea of little bundles in pink and sisters sitting there playing make-believe together warms my hormonal heart. Towards the end of our family we'll ONLY have a household of girls (when the boys move out)!!!! That's so strange. But I hear girls take care of their elderly parents better anyway, so I will have SIX girls to chose from to call and wipe their father's bum one day when we are old.

Last and MOST common question.....

6) Do you have any names?

AHHHHHHH!!!!!! If you only KNEW how hard girls names are for us. Actually I think I've consistently blogged about it during Kellyn's AND Everly's pregnancy and how hard it was for us to come up with ONE name.....now we need to come up with TWO!!!!!!! And then there's all the pressure because their individuals but twins too. But Brooks doesn't like matchy matchy anything names AND clothing (however, he's gonna lose the clothing battle), so thankfully I don't have to have them start with the same letter or anything. But they DO need to come out of the mouth easily because they WILL be called together a lot. 

If we went with names that had to do with this pregnancy then they just MIGHT be named:

Hazel and Nut

(I probably eat that on toast three times a day. No kidding) or

Jelly and Belly

(I mean, they could be short for Jillian and Belinda or something right? Nah, how do you tell your girls you named them after your favorite treat and energy boost?)

Janela and Panela

(I actually SAID when I was 12 I would name my twin girls that. I was studying portuguese prior to moving to Brazil and liked that the words for "window" and "pan" rhymmed. Again, who wants to be named after a pan?)

 Honey and Maple

(after my most favorite turkey meat?......that's kinda up there with Spinx and Zaxby...and I can't name kids after the gas stations/restaurants where I like to to buy my drinks because their chewy ice is my FAVORITE!!!!)

Nueve and Dezie

(I actually call them that now....meaning "9" and "10" with Spanish and portuguese mixed to make those names. But no, they aren't serious considerations)

I FEEL like they should be called

FAITH and HOPE

(shortened from LEAP OF FAITH and HERE'S HOPING to our sanity..... then again, Brooks doesn't like shortened names. "We name them what we'll call them". I can't really see myself yelling, "Leap of Faith, quit pulling your sister's hair" or "Here's Hoping, pull up your pants!")

I liked a few names I suggested to Brooks and they were quickly shot down, and then he liked a few and they sounded too much like our other kids' names (on our girl list he always liked Emory and Camry) so they were out. I've always liked Jane/Janey among other traditional names but they have become too popular now and Brooks hates that.

I DID tell Brooks that if he died during this pregnancy (like some of my wacky pregnant dreams include......every pregnancy it never fails) that I would name one Brooke after him. Even though I don't like that name. He said he just wouldn't die to prevent that from happening. #winwin 

We DO have a FEW I'm considering but I'm one of those people that has to say them over and over again and picture them at all ages saying, "Hi my name is _______" or hearing a boy say "Yea, I'm dating a girl named _________". 

Soooooo, as you see, I don't really have an answer for the name question. Good thing I have PLENTY of time to figure them out. But 7-10 weeks (here's HOPING I go that long) really isn't that much time!!!!

Weeks 26-29

I feel like I could write a blog post on my pregnancy every day since it basically consumes my mind and my whole day.....and my whole body, really. 

BUT, I have showed restraint and consolidated 3 weeks of Twin-Pregnancy update into one post.

You're welcome.

Here I am at 26 weeks.

That was before I went on one of what I HOPE to be my last grocery store trips with the three littles. 

The three littles are actually pretty good in grocery stores and I never have a problem with them.... I just can't push anyone in the cart PLUS food. I get winded enough with food. It is so embarrassing. Next stop? Motorized riding shopping carts for me!!! (Too bad their baskets are too small to fit my family of 10's for quantity!)

Grandma sent my first matching twins outfits!!!!! Starting to feel more real!

We've also done a TON of rearranging and changing rooms. As you can imagine our 3 bedroom, 1700 sq.ft home needed a little shifting to accommodate the two newest princesses. 

First thing, move Royce downstairs to the basement (we use it as a 4th bedroom) with the boys. The boys weren't too thrilled, Royce was BEYOND excited.

Kellyn was moved into a new (Minnie) toddler bed in Aleeya and Iris' room and Everly was moved from her crib (more like EVICTED ) into a new toddler bed herself. She looks so cute in it and hasn't had any problems staying in it. She still even takes her two naps during the day in it. Phew. Now I don't have to lift her anymore.

I try to avoid bending down at ALL costs...., and that includes not caring when Kellyn goes to the dentist (it was a DISASTER.....don't ask. #highmaintenancegirl) with two shoes that don't match.

Here I am at 27 weeks. Already to go to my appointment. (Uterus measuring at 32 weeks along)

The appointment was the sweetest thing ever though. She pulled out the Doppler and found the heartbeat of a sweet baby girl (who was head down....phew). The other little girl was hiding BEHIND her sister, but we eventually found her heartbeat. Looking down at my belly with two dopplers on it and listening to two different heart beats has been one of my highlights of this pregnancy. #Imelted

Protein is a HUGE emphasis in twin pregnancies and helps them "stay in longer" I guess. Good thing too, because these babies could probably eat a pound of the Honey Maple Sliced Turkey from the Walmart deli every day. 

Sometimes in pregnancy you start feel not so attractive.... Then you go and buy one of these to fix that. #HOT

Actually it's a "Prental Cradle " (my regular belly support brace doesnt cut it this time) to help with the torn muscle at the top of my belly that burns more the heavier my belly gets. Good thing I don't have a long ways to go!!!!..... Oh wait, I do!

Me and the girls voted too. I should've asked if I could get three votes. Pretty sure that would've helped Trump not win SC.

I've also been going through bins and getting rid of a TON of stuff. But nothing broke my heart more then getting rid of my newborn and baby boy things. It was an emotional moment......then again, I have a LOT of those lately

The girls like to walk around with babies stuffed up their shirts now. I can't imagine why.......but Everly has the ratio down pretty good in this picture.

28 weeks and my sister send me this hilarious shirt. Man oh man, I WISHED I had it on when I went to Walmart earlier that day. I was asked an embarrassing amount of times when I was due (assuming it was SOON).

29 weeks today. My uterus is measuring (fundal height) like I'm 39 weeks. 

Even BROOKS said to me, I look at you and I feel like you're already at your due date. Well, I AM that size!!! And not only that but this week I'm the same weight and belly size as the week I delivered Everly at full term.

YES, it comes with all the discomforts of being full-term-size but it's also rather amusing and so fascinating to witness.
And even BETTER to feel two little bodies moving around in there!!!

Resilient Chicks

A lady in our church was going out of town but ALSO ordered three new 1 day old chickens. She asked us to chick-sit them.

I REMINDED her how many kids we had and the AGES of them and wondered if she wanted to reconsider. But she ASSURED me she wanted the new chickens to be used ot being around people, be handled a lot and given attention.

If THATS what she wants then she came to the RIGHT place.

PLUS it was good practice since Brooks wants chickens one day.

Emerson, Camden and Royce even got to pick them out and name them.

Anna-Coal (she is dark as coal) is on the left. Emerson named her.

Royce named Lloyd who is in the middle (yes, we told him is was a GIRL chicken, but nowadays names are gender interchangeable I guess)

And Camden's Tweety is on the right.

Right after we brought them home. A LOT of admiring.

I loved Tweety the most because she was so snuggly and liked to hide in the kids' neck and hair.

Oooooor maybe she's hiding from Everly's ever-present finger.

The chicks really entertained my three at-home kids during the school day. 

Royce and the ever-feminine Lloyd.

They liked to snuggle into my bathrobe a lot.....or maybe they liked the perch of my belly......or that I cupped them and made them feel safe. Not sure.

However they DID poop a lot. Especially Anna-Coal who probably always had the literal-crap scared out of her by my kids, but we WERE asked to get them used to humans.

First thing Everly asked for after her naps were the "chickees"

This picture cracks me up because if you look at Everly's sash the chicken pooped on it and Everly had no idea and kept playing with Tweety.

They turned out being more like pirate birds then snuggly chickens because they kept climbing onto our shoulders.

When she came to pick up the chickens I breathed a sigh of relief that 1) We kept them alive and
2) the minor burning/almost-fire I started with their lamp didn't kill them or damage her container TOO bad.

When the lady went to hold her chickens she said, "I've never had baby chickens so used to humans by 5 days old! They're not even running from me!"

Our family's new advertisement sign:

Please send us your animals* that need to be USED to humans.

*we cannot guarantee they will be returned alive